The present invention relates to an improved cooling system for internal combustion engines which utilizes a heat energy recovery system to improve the efficiency of the engine. This is accomplished using the principles of an external combustion steam engine.
The improved cooling system of the invention can be applied directly to an air-cooled engine or to the more modern air-oil cooled engine which uses oil both for lubrication and for cooling. Such engines include gasoline and diesel fueled engines, with or without a turbocharger. One problem, however, with air-oil cooled engines is the inability to effectively cool the oil for recirculation into the engine. Accordingly, many manufacturers have abandoned oil as a cooling substance in favor of more conventional water-cooled engines.
A major drawback of water-cooled engines is the inevitable leakage of water into the engine, effectively ruining it. One cause of water leakage is the expansion of water during freezing. Accordingly, antifreeze is normally added to the water to prevent freezing. Yet the use of antifreeze creates other problems, not the least of which is the inadvertent poisoning of children and animals who mistakenly drink spilled or improperly disposed antifreeze. Moreover, the antifreeze can also irreparably damage an engine should it leak into the engine cylinders or the oil owing to a malfunction of the engine.